Into Black
by Lord Winterman
Summary: Born with a power he loathes, Izuku Midoriya prepares to fight the worst of the criminal underworld, including his own father. Meanwhile, Itsuka Kendo finds herself entrusted with a secret legacy meant for another, and is set on a collision course with twisted reflection of what should have been.
1. Inception

**Preface: I will start out by saying that this was intended to be one of those quick projects to keep myself going. That said, like so many others, the story kind of grew out of control. And it also insisted on being published as quickly as possible.**

**Secondly, this an AFO!Izuku story (as in "Hisashi Midoriya is All for One and Izuku inherited his Quirk), drawing some inspiration from **_**Conversations with a Cryptid **_**(by AMournfulHowlInTheNight, found on AO3). Add a dose of official artwork by Horikoshi Kouhei, and you get this.**

**So, yeah. A fan-fic of a fan-fic.**

**Anywho, on with the show.**

_Ten Years Ago…_

Dr. Tsubasa said he didn't have a Quirk, that he _couldn't_ have Quirk.

Sitting at home, Izuku stared at the blank space of wall. He couldn't move things with his mind. He couldn't breathe fire. He couldn't do anything. His dreams were all but crushed, Ka-chan's words ringing in his ears.

_"And 'Deku' means someone who can't do anything."_

The tears started to fall, refusing to stop. And his head hurt so much! He couldn't hear himself screaming.

"Izuku!"

His mom wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

"I'm here, sweetheart."

_Why don't I have a Quirk?_

A spark.

And everything went black.

**Into Black**

Chapter One: Inception

Tensei Iida had gotten a call shortly before heading home for the night. A part of him rebelled at the delay, but he refused to ignore a cry for help, which brought him to a previously sleepy neighborhood in Musutafu. Around him, other Heroes and first responders were searching for survivors, floodlights illuminating ground zero.

According to first responders, it wasn't a villain attack, but the amount of destruction wrought, possibly on accident, was beyond worrying. The entire building had been brought down, supports warped and twisted before effectively imploding, almost as if someone had conducted an impromptu demolition of the building with the occupants inside.

Now that he was digging through the rubble, he was hoping he could find someone in the heap that was still alive. So far, survivors had been few and far in between, and more than a few had expired shortly after being rescued.

Popping over a slab of flooring, he found a hollow in the rubble that appeared stable enough for him to venture into. Slipping inside, he found nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but when ordinary of the last hour or so encompassed.

A little boy with green hair, tucked underneath his mother, having clearly used herself as a shield to protect her son. The shelves had been stripped of everything, the table swept clean and the chairs knocked over, bits of the wall, parts of the building, all drifting towards the epicenter, settling around the boy and his mother.

_What happened here? _He wondered.

Tensei's heart nearly stopped when he heard a little cough. Looking at the two bodies in the room, he saw the boy was still breathing.

"I found someone!" he hollered.

He gently moved the mother aside, cringing at number of puncture wounds that had been inflicted by assorted household items, many of which shouldn't have been capable of breaking skin on their own. Once she was set aside, he checked the boy for injuries.

"Hello," Tensei said, "I'm Ingenium. I'm here to help."

The boy looked at him with vacant eyes.

"What's your name?"

Words were not forthcoming, so he looked around for something to identify the boy, but with such a mess, that was liable to be impossible. Thankfully, the ruins of the refrigerator offered a name.

"Izuku?" The boy shifted a little. "Izuku, come on. I'll get you out of here."

"Mommy."

Tensei's heart jumped into his throat. "I'll be back for her. I promise."

It was kind of difficult to use his Quirk while carrying a child, even one as small as Izuku. Navigating his way out of the rubble, he found the paramedics and passed the boy off.

"These people are going to help you," he said, "I need to go back for your mom. I'll be right back, I promise."

He knew it was already too late, but the boy probably hadn't realized that yet. Tensei didn't know who would have to break that to Izuku or how, but he didn't envy that task.

Hours later, he's sitting in the hospital, his Hero costume stowed away after changing into his casual wear. Since the boy's father was apparently out of the country at the moment, and his home was in ruins, the hospital was looking for someone to watch him, especially since the boy became increasingly distraught with Tensei's absence.

So far, Izuku had stayed in bed, sitting up and staring blankly at the wall. Cleaned of blood and grime, he looked better. Marginally. His eyes had that far-off look, much like he had been when Tensei had first found him.

Izuku couldn't be much older than Tenya.

"Here." He took off his coat and placed it over his shoulders. "You probably need it more than I do." _Probably better than another blanket, too_, Tensei thought.

Without a word, Izuku tucked himself deeper into the coat. Tensei knelt down and rested a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"There you go," Tensei said, giving the boy a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay."

There was a knock on the door, the nurse's voice coming from the other side.

"Mr. Ingenium, can I have a word?"

"Sure. I'll be right out." Standing up, he turned to Izuku. "Hey, I'm going to step out for a bit. I'll be right back, okay?"

Unsurprisingly, the boy didn't say anything in reply.

Stepping outside, Tensei found himself looking up at someone for once. Next to the nurse was a man in a business suit. Tall and imposing, he stood substantially taller than even Tensei. Hair and eyes were light colored, almost white, but he looked closer to Tensei's age.

"Mr. Midoriya," the nurse said, "this is Ingenium. He's the one looking after your son."

The man looked at him. For all of his gravitas, he seemed…absent. Uncomfortable.

"Hisashi Midoriya," the man replied. "I came as quickly as I could. Tell me: how is my son doing."

The Hero grimaced. "His physical injuries were minor and easily tended to, but…he's still in shock. I've been trying to coax him out of it, but…maybe you'll have better success on that front."

"He might not even remember me," Hisashi said, almost whispering. "I…I left when he was small."

"Well, there's no harm in trying." Tensei knocked on the door, "Izuku, it's me. I brought someone to see you."

Reentering the room, Izuku had scarcely moved, still nestled in the cocoon of blankets

"Izuku, someone's here to see you."

Tensei didn't know what the man's Quirk was, but he certainly moved fast. The elder Midoriya knelt down at Izuku's bedside, taking his son's hand.

"Hello, Izuku," he whispered, settling a hand on the boy's head. "It's me. It's your father."

Slowly, Izuku turned to the man, a flash of recognition tugging at his previously impassive gaze. For the first time, Tensei saw a flicker of emotion from Izuku. Tears welled up, then flowed freely.

"I'm sorry," Izuku sobbed. "I-"

"Shh…it was not your fault."

[IB]

Itsuka Kendo was trying not to cry. She was a big girl, and big girls weren't supposed to cry.

It didn't make it easier to see her mom's casket being lowered into the ground.

Around her and her father were friends from work and some distant family members. Ms. Obsidian stood by her, umbrella in one hand, the other resting on Itsuka's shoulder, holding her steady. On her other side, her dad was seated in a wheelchair, still recovering from his injuries, only barely avoided having them amputated.

Itsuka barely noticed when it started raining on the way back to the cars.

"How many does this make?" someone asked, one of her parents' coworkers. They were trying to be quiet, but she could hear it all the same.

A deep, tired sigh. "Fourteen."

"What's going to happen to the Agency?"

"After the losses we suffered, what do you think?" Fugue muttered. "More than half the field operatives killed or crippled, and just from one battle." She paused. "At least he's behind bars. Should've been in the first place."

"He was our friend!" Selkie growled.

"A friend wouldn't have killed forty-seven people as response to getting his license yanked."

"Fugue, Selkie," Obsidian hissed, jerking her head towards Itsuka and her father.

The musical hero shrank in on herself. "…Right. Sorry."

Her colleague sufficiently chastised, Obsidian wrapped an arm around Itsuka, leaning close whisper in her ear. "People react to loss differently, Itsuka," she said. "No one is expecting you to be okay."

[IB]

No words were passed on the way home. There wasn't anything anyone could say that could fill the void left behind. And with her father out of commission until further notice, she was left in the care of Obsidian.

It only made the house seem emptier than before.

"Are you hungry, Itsuka?" Obsidian asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she continued. "I can make you something, even if you only want tea right now."

Itsuka tried to ignore her, staring out the window overlooking the driveway.

"It's okay to cry."

That little shove, and Itsuka fell apart in Obsidian's arms.

"I miss her," she sobbed.

"I miss her, too," Obsidian stroked her hair. "Just let it all out."

[IB]

_Eight Years Ago…_

Katsuki Bakugo stared at Deku with rapt attention, trying to puzzle out the enigma that had arrived at his house earlier in the day. The silver-haired woman (she had introduced herself as Yuri, or something) had brought him in, and spent some time talking with his parents, then left to do something, leaving Deku with them.

It had been months since he had last seen hide or hair of Deku, the boy dropping off the face of the earth after those rumors came out about his mother at school. It wasn't until later that Katsuki learned that Mrs. Midoriya had died in a Quirk related accident, with Deku as the rumored culprit.

The other boy had hardly moved since he sat on the couch after lunch, having barely touched his plate. It was almost time for dinner now, and he was utterly indifferent to the passage of time.

Compared to the irritating waste of space he just couldn't get rid of, now it was as if Deku had been replaced with someone who only looked like him, but didn't bother to get the other details right.

For starters, his eyes are old. Katsuki had come to the conclusion before the Hag had said the exact same thing to the Old Man when they thought no one was listening. A seven-year-old shouldn't have that haunted stare. No matter the comings and goings around the house, Deku had barely gone through the motions of breathing, barely eating anything.

"Hey, Deku," Katsuki growled out, "The Hag says dinner's almost ready."

True to the established pattern, Deku didn't show signs that he had heard, much less cared about what Katsuki had just said, so he got closer and snapped his fingers at him.

"Oi! Deku!"

No response. Still as a statue, without a care in the world.

That pissed Katsuki off.

"Quit ignoring me, Deku!" He tried to bop him on the head, only for his arm to swing around to the side, throwing him off balance.

Twisting around, he regained his footing. Explosions rippled from his palms, promising a swift retribution, but he stopped cold when those vacant eyes finally turned to him.

Katsuki would never admit to being frightened by it.

[IB]

_Inko Midoriya, Quirk: Pull (attracts small objects). _

_Akatsuchi Kendo, Hero Name: Lava Girl. Quirk: Viscosity (she can alter the viscosity of earthen materials)._

**A/N: Right, so we have a series of snapshots of Izuku's life in new circumstances, and the results aren't exactly pretty.**

**Starting with the obvious, yes, I (or rather, Izuku) killed Inko Midoriya. Apparently, that is done more often than not, according to the tags I found in AO3, but I'm not sure how often it happens like this.**

**On the other side of things, Kendo wasn't originally supposed to show up this early. I wasn't planning on her showing up until maybe chapter 4 or 5 (which might become chapters 6 or 7), depending on how things went, which would have been about the same timeframe Izuku met All Might in canon. However, since she is stepping up to the plate as a major character, and since her established details are kind of limited, I had to come up with more details of her background. So, more tragedy on that front.**

**Aside from that, Selkie is the same guy from Tsuyu's internship. Apart from him and Itsuka, everyone else at the funeral was pretty much invented for the purpose of this story, as well as the villain(s) responsible for the tragedy. **

**The next few chapters will be working their way to "present day" (the start of canon) and have the dynamic duo growing through the years. Details will come later, but I'll try to keep angst to a minimum.**

**As always, constructive criticism appreciated, even if it only tells me I'm a jerk-bag who is mean to the characters I work with (I typically am, even if it's to their eventual benefit).**


	2. Resolution

**A/N: At this point, Izuku and Itsuka should be about 8 years old. Also, I added something towards the end of chapter one (names and Quirks for the moms). Feel free to check it out.**

Chapter Two: Resolution

_Seven Years Ago…_

It was another grey, rainy day in Tokyo. Observing the weather from her classroom window, Momo Yaoyorozu wasn't one to put much stock in superstitions, but the weather was foreboding nonetheless. Sitting at her desk, she reviewed her notes, the odd number of students giving her a bit of space she otherwise wouldn't have.

Korusan was a prestigious private school where the classes were primarily composed of children of prominent Heroes, with children of wealthy individuals rounding out their numbers. Or in cases like hers, where both categories applied. Discretion was the watchword, especially for where some of the more private figures were concerned.

All that to say, she and her peers had great things expected of them, and the culture fostered at Korusan was intended to reflect this, regardless of the fact that the oldest of the class was barely nine years old.

She looked up when the teacher walked in, heralded by the rest of the class finding their seats in a hurried manner.

"Good morning, class," he said, nearly dropping a stack of papers on his desk.

"Good morning," was the chorused reply.

"Before we get started today, we have a new student joining us today." On cue, the student in question entered the room. "He recently moved here from Musutafu."

A messy mop of green hair that looked like it was underwater, drifting around his head, likely indicating his Quirk. Bags under his eyes, fixed into a thousand-yard stare, gave the impression of chronic sleep deprivation. Thin as a reed, he might as well have walked out of a concentration camp for all the life he had.

"Can you introduce yourself?"

"I'm Izuku Midoriya," the boy said, completely monotone. "Pleased to meet you."

The teacher eyed him cautiously. "Do you have anything you want to tell about yourself?"

"No." And that was that.

The teacher quietly sighed. "Very well. For now, you can sit next to Yaoyorozu. She's in the back corner with the open space."

Momo wanted to protest in some fashion. Everything about the boy screamed "avoid at all costs", and the whole situation sounded like the beginning of a bad manga plot. But, she reminded herself, she was taught to mind her manners – and as her mother so often reminded her, she represented the family – she schooled her features and hoped no one noticed her momentary breach in decorum.

"I don't know of any Heroes named Midoriya," someone whispered.

"Could be another rich kid."

Robotic and stiff, the boy moved into the seat, barely acknowledging her presence as he placed his things down. He pulled out a notebook and a pencil, popping the former open, then began scribbling in it as the teacher began, lost in his own little world.

As class progressed, she noticed he was moving at a very different rhythm in regards to his notetaking.

_Is he drawing?_ Momo wondered.

He was drawing the teacher…writing things on the whiteboard, faithfully recreated down to the last detail. His handwriting could use some work, but other than that, he was unobtrusive. For the moment, Momo postponed trying to get him to focus.

[IB]

In between periods, Sho Hajime slipped up beside her, beaming at her in a way that inferred an incoming headache.

"Morning, cousin," he said.

"Good morning," she replied.

While they shared similar facial features and coloration, his eyes were more of a flinty grey compared to her glossy onyx. Paternal first-cousin or not, he proved to be more than a handful at times.

"What do you think of your new desk mate?"

"We've known him for less than a day, Sho."

"Don't be like that, Momo. Surely something's come up that my genius cousin's figured out by now."

Momo thought for a moment, then said "he's good at drawing."

Sho glanced at Midoriya, now writing in an entirely different notebook. "Ah, so he's easily distracted."

"The drawings were on class materials."

"Really? How so?"

Their conversation halted when the teacher signaled her to his desk.

"Yaoyorozu, could I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

Momo nodded. "Of course, sir." She got up, missing the mischievous grin her cousin sported.

Settling in the corner, the teacher spoke in hushed tones, barely audible above the happy chatter of the students in the room.

"Yaoyorozu, I am sorry to put this on you, but could you bring him up to speed? According to his transcripts, he appears to be on top of things, so I don't think you'll have much trouble, but apparently he had some trouble at his last school when it came to interacting with peers. I'd rather have someone who won't pry too much."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sho poking his head from around the door, grinning like a fool. Whatever he was up to…

_Oh no, _Momo thought, realizing Sho's plan, to her existential horror. The teacher noticed about the same time.

"Hajime, no!"

Too little, too late. Sho activated his Quirk and flashed across the room, right in front of their new classmate.

"What'cha doing?" he asked, quite loudly, slamming his hands on the desk in front of him.

Whatever reaction he had been expecting, the resulting telekinetic burst was not it. Everything was shoved back, Hajime suffering the worst of it, flung into the clutter of desks. Bits of paper, some pencils, and loose items on the desks had been tossed about.

For a moment, no one moved, a quiet settling in the room as everyone caught their breath. Then Hajime slowly sat up from the wreckage, rubbing the back of his head.

"Whoa," he groaned, dazed.

Midoriya had a death grip on his desk, eyes wide – from fear or anger, Momo couldn't tell – and fixed on the spot on front of him, all while he took deep breaths. Shortly after, the shock wore off and his breathing came down to normal level. Hair pulling close to his head, the wavy patterns returned, followed by his face slackening to his previous, placid expression.

"Is anyone hurt?" The teacher asked.

Apart from the culprit, the most damaging injury was an eraser to the eye. While the teacher inspected the collateral damage, Hajime clambered back to his feet, then triumphantly thrust his fists into the air with a little hop.

"That was awesome!" he loudly declared.

Momo cautiously approached Midoriya, eyes once again staring off into the abyss and his drawing half-completed on the desk, arms defensively pinned down over it.

"Midoriya?" No response. "Midoriya, are you okay?"

His eyes widened and his arms relaxed. "Not really." Letting go of the desk, his hands were shaking ever so slightly.

"Do you need to talk to someone?"

"No." He picked up his pencil again and resumed drawing.

Momo blinked. "…Okay," she said, then thought to herself, _how do I fix this?_

[IB]

Before the last period of the day, Momo dragged her cousin in front of her desk, where Midoriya was still at work on his notebook. For once, her rambunctious cousin was downright contrite, shoulders hunched over and head bowed.

_And for good reason, _thought Momo, then said to her cousin. "Hajime, I believe you have something you need to say to Midoriya."

"Hello, Midoriya," he said, voice subdued, but otherwise clear. "I am Sho Hajime. I'm Yaoyorozu's cousin."

Momo discretely nudged him. "And?"

He bowed low, nearly clipping his head on the desk. "I apologize for startling you. My actions were unseemly, and caused unnecessary distress for you and our classmates."

Looking up from his writing, Midoriya studied Hajime for minute, weighing something in his mind. Without changing expression, he eventually nodded.

"Okay. Apology accepted," he said, with exactly the same level of passion as his introduction. "You were uninformed, therefor didn't know what would happen if you surprised me like that."

And he went back to his notebook, scribbling furiously.

"So…" Hajime drawled, cautiously peering down at the notebook, "what are your studying?"

Mindful of the teacher's instructions, Momo tensed, worried where this was going. Yet Midoriya continued writing without breaking stride.

"Quirks," he replied.

"Oh." Hajime blinked. "Which one are you on?"

"Yours."

Both of them looked down at the freshly scrawled out characters for Sho's name. Along with it was a sketch of Sho in school uniform, a manic grin that captured his essence better than Momo had anticipated.

Hajime perked up. "Momo's right. You _are_ really good at drawing! And if you want a name for it, I'm calling it Blink."

"Thanks," Midoriya replied, voice still flat, adding another line of writing to incorporate the new information.

"You planning on a Support course?"

That got Midoriya to pause, his hair stilling as he looked up. "What?"

"You like studying Quirks. And you're probably as smart as my cousin if can figure out the distance from here to the door on the fly."

"How did you figure that out?" Momo asked.

"He wrote it down already. Along with some other guesses about my Quirk."

Momo looked at the notes, raising an eyebrow. "You can read upside down?"

"Yeah?" Hajime said, cautiously.

"To answer your question," Midoriya interjected, scratching his chin. "I haven't decided yet."

"Eh, I'm sure Momo can help you with some ideas."

For the first time, Midoriya looked at her directly, a trace of curiosity in his expression. It was somewhat unnerving, that deep green practically swallowing the light as it came, but he seemed genuinely interested on what she might have to say.

For a moment, she wanted to back away, leave the conversation and move on with her day. But this was the first time she had seen Midoriya react to outside stimuli in a positive manner. If she was going to be working with him, she wanted to encourage this behavior.

_And Sho simply blundered into it._

"Well, there are Quirk specialists, analysts for the news…"

[IB]

Itsuka sat quietly, watching as her father finished his walk across the room with the rails for support. It had been three years, with many tears shed throughout those trying times, but he looked more like himself again.

She and Ms. Obsidian clapped at his success, and her father smiled and waved, leaning on the beams.

"Nothing to it," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's try something new."

Stepping beyond the supports, his legs wobbled a little. He tested his weight, then moved a litter further.

"Careful, daddy," said Itsuka, walking up alongside him.

Pushing off the supports, he stagger-stepped across the floor, only to stumble after a few, pained steps, Itsuka helping him slow his descent.

"Son of a-" he gritted his teeth, cutting the next word off.

Obsidian rolled her eyes, pushing a strand of purple hair aside. "Don't push yourself."

Itsuka guided her to the wall, then eased him into the nearest chair. Rolling up the legs of his sweatpants, he adjusted the braces again.

"I thought I had it that time," he grumbled.

"You're still making progress," Itsuka said. "I'll get the crutches."

"Relax, Shin," Obsidan added. "Most people wouldn't be able to walk at all after what you went through. As your legal representative in this matter, I advise you stop moping."

That earned the woman a pointed stare. "Nori…" he growled, but there wasn't that much bite to it. Listening to the two bicker at times was like how she imagined siblings would jab at each other.

Itsuka returned with the crutches, holding them out for her father. A wane smile graced his lips as he took them and pulled himself back to standing, letting himself rest his weight on the supports with a wince.

"Thanks, Itsuka."

"Daddy, are you okay?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," said Obsidian. "Your father's just being pig-headed."

"Itsuka called me a mule the other day. I think I'd prefer that."

Obsidian snorted, suppressing a smirk. "I see. Anyway, go ahead and get showered. We got places to be. You might as well get ready, too, Itsuka."

Since the older woman had come in her business attire, a suit and pencil skirt combination that was a few shades darker than her hair, once Itsuka had changed into the teal dress she had picked out, she was waiting to fuss over her hair with a brush.

"You and your father both," she playfully grumbled. "All that wild mess that never seems to stay in order." Obsidian pulled the mass of red hair into a side-tail. "There," she said, turning the stool around to face the mirror. "Isn't that better?"

Itsuka stared at her reflection, subconsciously picking at a strand, picking out the similarities and differences between her and her mother.

Obsidian was about to say something when her father emerged from his bedroom, his mass of black hair done into a top-knot, green eyes glinting in the light. He had a grey suit and slacks, a forest green dress shirt with a gold tie.

"You look nice," Itsuka said.

"Eh, had to learn how to do it at some point," her father quipped.

As much as he tried to play it off, she noticed how her father was self-conscious of his appearance, especially around her. While he had been working out again, he was still a far cry from his Pro Hero days, and his hair still looked a bit lank at times.

Itsuka quickly banished that particularly unpleasant train of thought.

"How are the braces?" she asked.

Wobbling around like a newborn deer, he steadied himself. "I'll live. I'll probably still need the crutches for a while yet."

"Right," Obsidian said, jingling her keys, "let's go."

[IB]

Piling into Katanori's car, the Kendos taking up the backseat. As they pulled away, Shinutsu checked on his braces again, trying to find. The route they were taking was mostly familiar, though he couldn't imagine where his former coworker was taking him.

"You just _had_ to get me out of the house," he grumbled. "Today of all days."

"Can't have you moping alone, Shinutsu," Katanori retorted. "Not after last year."

Itsuka's father frowned. "Well, since you're bound and determined to see this through, where are we going?"

"You'll see," she answered with a knowing smirk.

Since he was not liable to pull any answers from the lawyer or his daughter, Shinutsu stared out the window, watching the world go by. It took only a minute before the silence got to him.

"Nori, how did your interview go?" he asked, trying to find a conversation.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that you're speaking to the newest addition to U.A.'s faculty."

He blinked, the smiled. "Congratulations!" he said, then tussled Itsuka's hair. "Maybe you can be one of Itsuka's teachers?"

"If Little Itsuka wants to go into the Business course, perhaps. Last I heard, she had her heart set on another path."

Itsuka gave her father a quick glance, then looked away. Shinutsu quietly sighed. He knew where Ituska wanted to go and what she wanted to do with her life, and he was honestly terrified. He knew firsthand the demands and risks of being Pro Hero entailed, and he knew his daughter was all too aware of those costs.

Was it selfish or hypocritical of him to try and steer his daughter away from the life that had nearly taken everything from him?

_"Daddy, don't leave me!"_

Shinutsu gritted his teeth at the memory. He couldn't tell her no, not after he nearly left her alone because he had let himself be consumed in his grief. He would just have to make sure she would be ready for whatever her choices would carry her.

More idle chatter about nothing in particular as the drive continued until they pulled into the wharfs.

"Here we are," Katanori announced, coming to a stop.

"Is that…?" he trailed off.

"Selkie's boat, yeah."

Once he was out of the car, Katanori was at his left and Itsuka on his right, guiding him up the gangplank to the Oki Mariner. Standing at the top of the ramp was the Sea Rescue Hero.

"Nice and easy," Selkie said, flashing a grin at him and saluting. "Welcome aboard, sir!"

Making his way up the gangplank, Selkie ushered him past his crew, letting Shinutsu see everyone else who had come.

In addition to Oki Mariner crew, there was Fugue accompanied by her sidekick. Wind Waker, Dark Cloud, so many others he hadn't seen in ages, all looking to him. As he passed through the crowd, many took the chance to shake his hand, or rest a hand on his shoulder.

He found himself at the front of the crowd, where a table had numerous pictures laid out, sixteen in total. Portraits of the fallen with a candle for each one, flickering in the breeze.

"Here you go, boss," Fugue said, handing him a glass. "Whenever you're ready."

In the privacy of his mind, he was ready to curse Nori for putting him in such a position without warning him. The woman gave him a slight smirk and a nod.

He was quiet for a minute, all eyes on him with glasses in hand, even Itsuka, though it looked like someone had secured a soft drink for her.

"Today, we remember a tragedy that stole a great deal for us. When villains struck these shores, and our agency stood up to the plate to stop them." He paused, searching for the words to say. "While it's all too easy to remember the losses and the empty space they left behind, we should never forget why they would be willing to make that sacrifice. Not for accolades or opinion pieces. Not because the integrity of the agency was at stake."

He licked his lips.

"We answered the call, and when it comes down to it, they stood for us. We stood for one another, for our family."

Murmured approval quietly rippled around the crowd, heads bowed.

"No matter what, even though many of us have gone separate ways, even if most of us don't share blood, we are still a family. Though they may be gone, they shall never be forgotten by us who remain. And so." He held up his glass, everyone mirroring him. "To family."

[IB]

_Six Years Ago…_

Sitting in the corner, arms and legs crossed, Sayuri Emiya watched as her…well, technically the boy was her employer, even if the Lovecraftian Lawyer handled most of the transactions for her fee. Anyway, her young employer had been called in. As his butler, chauffer, and bodyguard, she had ferried him to the office building to meet with the family's lawyer.

Listening with one ear, she followed the conversation, surreptitiously fiddling with her fingernails, buffing the metallic surfaces. The temperature in the room had seen her loosen her tie somewhat, but her young master hardly seemed bothered by it all.

For a kid barely nine years old, he was extraordinarily grim. Not in the 'seriously cute' sort of grim, but the sort of solemnness that she often found in combat veterans and the like. Far more than his age and experience could account for.

"Is he dead?" Izuku asked.

"No," the lawyer said, "but he did pass along some instructions in the event something like this happened."

A manila packet was passed across the desk. Izuku gingerly took it up, staring at it as one would a viper.

Sayuri looked up from her fingernails, red eyes tracking the boy's posture. As he read through the packet, his back had straightened out, and his head was held higher.

"How soon does this need to be processed?" Izuku asked.

A tentacle reached up, scratching at the approximation of the man's chin. "The sooner the better. But I will work at your pace, young Midoriya."

Izuku flipped the packet in his hands, tightening his grip, then looked up. "Thank you. I think that that will be all for now."

No words were exchanged the length of their walk from the office. When they climbed into the car, the boy cleared his throat.

"Yuri," he said.

"Sir?" she replied.

"Your dossier said you have combat training and experience."

That was hardly a secret. "Just as you say, sir," she answered. "What do you need from me?", then mentally added, _as long as it doesn't land me in prison._

"I need you to teach me how to fight."

The butler blinked. "Are we talking about bullies or something bigger?"

"Bigger." She could hear him smile. "Much bigger."

Mulling the notion over, Sayuri inclined her head. "Well, you're the one paying me. Never taught anyone before, but I can work out training regime. It's going to be tough. Think you're up for it?"

She glanced into the review mirror. Hands clasped in his lap, her charge still had that distant gaze, but it had diminished just a little more. She could see the grim satisfaction backing that smile, and that fading ember of life became a fire in his eyes.

"Absolutely."

[IB]

_Sho Hajime. Quirk: Blink (allows him to cross a distance up to 10 meters nearly instantly)._

_Momo Yaoyorozu. Quirk: Creation (she can create any non-living matter from her fat cells, provided she knows the composition)._

**A/N: I originally planned on splitting this chapter up, but that kind of disrupted the flow of the next chapter, hence the delay as I tried to figure out how everything worked together.**

**And now it's time to unpack this chapter.**

**In keeping with the Star Wars theme for naming places, Korusan is a bastardization of Coruscant. I would have used Soumei (where Iida went before U.A.), but as I recall, that is a lower secondary school/middle school/junior high. In any case, this encounter with Izuku will have an impact on Yaoyorozu's later development. **

**Sho Hajime is an OC, introduced primarily because Momo would likely adhere to instructions given by their teacher (Iida was similarly excluded for the same reason. He'll show up later, though), and I needed someone a bit more reckless who could draw Izuku from his shell in a positive (-ish) manner. Also, having more characters involved with the Support aspect is both fun and useful from a narrative perspective (Shinso and Hatsume are terribly underutilized characters, especially when they can provide more insight to their respective courses). As it stands, he won't be too involved in the overall plot, but he will pop in every now and again.**

**On Itsuka's side of things, we get a look at the Kendos' own healing process (among others). Not going to lie, that speech fought me every step of the way, and I'm not even sure I got it quite the way I wanted it (though the same could be said of the rest of the chapter). I think this will also be the last time I really make use of most of Shintsu and Katanori's former colleagues (at least for a while).**

**And thanks to Itsuka's dad, we have some names to work with, which according to my currently limited understanding of kanji, breaks down as follows: Shinutsu: Shin (elasticity) + utsu (to hit/strike). Katanori is Kata (solid) + Nori (law, referring to her profession), her family name being Tesetsu, Te (hand) + Setsu (sharp), or knife-hand, if you will. Akatsuchi (Itsuka's mother) means "red earth", denoting her hair color and her Quirk. Sho means "to fly/soar", with Hajime meaning "beginning" or "origin", his name mostly being cobbled together before I remembered I have books on the subject. Sayuri means "Lily", which is primarily derived from her given birth name, while the first kanji of her surname means "protection" (appropriate, given her present occupation).**

**Speaking of, Sayuri Emiya is essentially an aged-up Illyasviel von Einzbern, farmed out from Fate/Stay Night. I originally planned to have Walter C. Dornez from Hellsing (or an expy of him, at least) as the resident butler, but since I've already been working with Illya for **_**Fate/Reckoning,**_** I decided to convert her magecraft into a Quirk, played it off of Walter's fighting style, and voila! Yuri the Combat Butler!**

…**Also, Izuku needed some consistent adult supervision without All Might or his mother, and without tying him to another family, all while still keeping Hisashi out of the picture (in related news, the final section would be just after All Might and AfO crippled each other). So, Izuku's going to have an Alfred to his Bruce Wayne (or Walter to Integra Hellsing).**

**On the plus side, now that we've gotten through some of the messier, emotional bits, the next chapter should prove a bit more easily completed.**

**And now it's time to end this long authorial note. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated (and I'm sure this chapter needs it), even if it's only to tell me my attempts at coming up with proper Japanese names leaves something to be desired.**


	3. Progression

**A/N: For a quick reference, this is about four years prior to Izuku's canon meeting with All Might. Izuku and Itsuka are about 10 years old at this point.**

Chapter Three: Progression

_Five Years Ago…_

Itsuka set the stack of boxes down, shrinking her hands back down to normal size. The sun beat down on the pavement, and the empty moving truck sat outside, their help having departed scant minutes ago for lunch.

In the continuing pursuit of a sense of normality, her father had decided to open a dojo. Even crippled, he had no small amount of knowledge concerning several martial arts, and his name attracted more than a few students interested in learning from a retired Pro-Hero.

She looked around the building. The space they had chosen had a large garage that was currently littered with boxes and exercise equipment, all pressed against the walls, and the "office" only had a card table and a folding chair at the moment. The air conditioning was going to be fixed later in the week, so the place smelled strange and was muggy to boot.

"What do you think, Itsuka?" he asked.

She sniffed the air, then said "I think we still need to air the place out some more."

"Fair enough." Her father nodded. "In the meantime, since we're waiting, what do you say we break it in?"

"What about unpacking?"

"We're actually ahead of schedule. The boxes can wait a little while longer, wouldn't you agree?"

Itsuka pouted, about to argue, but thought better of it. "Think you'll make it with just the cane?"

Her father set his weight fully on his legs. "I may have lost a few steps, but I think that puts me _just_ high enough to give you a proper challenge." He paused and looked down at the crutch. "Still, probably better keep it on hand."

"Good. It makes you look more like those old masters from the movies." She gave him a teasing smile, which he returned after a second.

"Heh, I'm not _that_ old," he said, rolling his eyes exaggeratingly.

The cane set aside, they walked over where one of the mats had already been laid out. The two bowed to one another and took stances, bending slightly at the knees.

It was good seeing him standing on his own again, even with the braces helping him. He had spent as much time as able relearning old steps and testing the boundaries of what his physical condition allowed for, and she had trained alongside him, absorbing his lessons like a sponge.

Her hand expanded, catching his fist it shot out towards her. As expected, he slipped out and countered, throwing her back a few steps, his arms compressing for another strike. Predictably, he didn't pursue her, opting to stand his ground.

She followed through the rudimentary motions she had been learning over the last year, taking care not to aim for his legs. That said, he gave better than he was getting, keeping her back and heading off any attempts to close the distance.

As a Quirk, Big Hands were good for a lot of different things, as was the strength and physical resistance that came with it. But she was not anywhere close to Pro-Hero level, much less one in their prime. Her father had years of experience, and his Quirk was still going strong, and nullified any hits she managed to land.

Then an opening appeared. Ducking under her father's next punch, Itsuka darted through and aimed a kick at his side. He leaned away from her kick, then grabbed her leg, holding her in place while her arms pinwheeled comically. Flashing a grin, he relaxed.

"Good job, Itsuka," he said, letting go. "Though you should be more cautious with fortuitous openings like that."

Settling on their feet, they stood up straight and bowed to each other.

"I still have a lot to learn," she replied.

"It'll come to you with time…time and _plenty_ of training."

Itsuka groaned half-heartedly as he tussled her hair and pulled her in for a hug. His arm stretched to pick his cane up again as Obsidian's car pulled up, honking to herald the arrival of food.

"In the meantime, now that we've more than worked up an appetite, how about lunch?"

[IB]

Yuri stood in silence as she sipped from her thermos. Today, her hair was done up in a ponytail instead of the usual braided bun, and she wore a plain, black t-shirt and track pants, her jacket tossed over a broken refrigerator nearby.

Standing on the beach, her student was flinging the block across the beach with one Quirk, then pulling it back it back with another. Speed was good, especially for a wooden block, and his aim had improved considerably since he had first begun, as had his output control.

It was a good thing that had started with flinging things out to sea. That first burst had been a shotgun blast and had carved an inlet into the beach.

"That's enough for now," she said. A final Push, and her student leaned back. "You're getting better at changing gears."

Izuku grumbled under his breath, likely frustrated with the slow progress, which Yuri could sympathize with. It was still a long way to go, and so far, they had really only touched on two of his…acquisitions. With Izuku's unique circumstances, it was best to focus on maintaining the masquerade.

"Now, about your homework..."

Izuku Pulled a notebook off the broken table nearby, then handed it to her, then sat down and closed his eyes. Light flickered off of him for a split second, and when he opened his eyes, the sclerae had turned black. Raising a hand, one of the discarded pieces of garbage were Pulled into orbit around him

Reading through a half-finished analysis notebook, she paced back and forth, periodically adding another object for him to telekinetically juggle when he steadied his balance.

Getting over his mental blocks had been a trial, but the boy's long-neglected enthusiasm for studying everything relating to Quirks had swiftly overtaken his initial holdups, as had his determination to see his path through to the end.

After almost a dozen pages of descriptions and breakdowns of each and every Quirk in his possession, Yuri paused at the blank page that followed.

"You didn't list your original Quirk," she said.

The blocks gathered in front of Izuku and shot off into the distance, bouncing around the beach or imbedding in assorted junk.

"It's not like I'm going to use it," he muttered.

"Perhaps, but it's not going away."

Izuku grunted. Not much of a concession from the kid, but it was something she could work on. No therapist in the world would be cleared for this sort of thing, so it fell to her to fill role.

"Remember what I said when you started?" she asked.

"'The first step to conquering your fear is understanding what it is that makes you afraid'," he answered.

"Your Quirk is a part of you. And in some ways, it is the best weapon in your arsenal, not because of what it does, but what it tells you about your enemy." She paused, glancing at her student. "I can understand your reluctance to face this, but if you're to ever reach your full potential, much less face your father, this is all part of the climb."

"I know that!"

Yuri was quiet for a minute, trying to find a way to get through to him. It wasn't something she usually talked about beyond the vague descriptions, but it was probably the best chance of getting through to him. Taking a breath, she walked around and sat down across from Izuku, tenting her hands in front of her.

"I've killed people before," she admitted. "Lots of people, actually. I didn't always use my Quirk. Didn't always use a gun or blade, or things remotely considered weapons. At least once, I just caused enough racket that the old man killed himself rather than face me."

Izuku blinked at her. "Are you going somewhere with this?"

Raising an eyebrow at her student, Yuri refrained from flicking the kid in the forehead.

"Having a dangerous Quirk isn't what makes you dangerous," she continued. "Your Quirk has its dangers, true; you know that better than anyone. But ignoring that danger does not mitigate it, much less eliminate it. And painting yourself as monster or weapon because of it does you a great disservice." Another pause, she could see Izuku's posture shift, if only a little. "You are more than sum of your parts, more than your father's son, and your past doesn't have to define you."

Pensive, Izuku looked to the ground. "I'll think about it."

"That is something I can work with."

Izuku looked up at her again. "How long did it take for you to get a handle on your own Quirk?"

"The basics? About the time I turned fourteen. Total mastery came closer to twenty."

"And's just one Quirk," Izuku muttered. "How am I supposed to catch up to someone with centuries of experience?"

"There are ways," Yuri replied, sitting up straight. "Perhaps talking it over will give you some ideas. You never did describe how your Quirk works in great detail."

Izuku leaned back, staring at the sky. "It's like I fall into a void. Everything goes black, for the most part. And there's these lights around me, little stars that I can pull on."

"Have you tried using more than one at a time?"

"No. Aside from Pull, if I use more than one, they all tend to react violently. It took months to get them all to quiet down so I could think straight."

"Suppression is not the same thing as control," she retorted, standing up. "We already have idea of what you're capable of, the power you are capable of projecting. You just need to master what you have so that your Quirk will do only what you wish and when you will it so." She pulled at her middle fingernail, drawing a length of metallic wire the width of a fishing line and whipping it around, identical threads extending outward to match. "And when you can look beyond what is evident…"

She swung her arm around, monofilament wires snapping out with a metallic crack, and brought them down on a washed up car wreck. Wires carved through the frame of the car like paper, scooping up one of the pieces and bringing it to dangle in front of her.

"You will open the road to a new reality." The wires lit up, causing the fragments to rust into dust in front of their eyes. "No matter its origins, it is _your_ Quirk. Open yourself to it, and let it work for you."

[IB]

_Shinutsu Kendo. Hero Name: Flex. Quirk: Rubberman (a body as flexible as rubber, he can stretch his body to strike opponents from afar or to reach high places. He is also shock absorbent, and can fall from great heights with minimal effect, though this threshold is significantly lower after his injuries)._

_Sayuri Emiya, Quirk: Time Wire (creates prehensile wires from her hair and nails. When she sends a charge through them, they can slow or accelerate the innate time of an object). _

**A/N: Yay for father-daughter bonding and training. Also, I think this marks the first time I've had Itsuka use her Quirk in this story (not that there was any need for her to use it before now). Looking forward to showcasing that a bit more, especially when One for All is thrown into the mix.**

**For Izuku, I made a couple aesthetic alterations concerning the usage of his Quirk(s). As of right now, he can really only use two of them to any significant degree, though a third and All for One have some automatic effects that he has little control over at this time (resulting in the aesthetic changes).**

**In other news, I was having to rethink part of the execution for this story, mostly where Izuku starts off in U.A. While it would be interesting to put him in Management, it would go against Izuku's developing character, and would require more characters introduced and developed (both in the Management Course and in the empty slot for 1-A). I still might use a couple of the OCs I came up with for the Management Course, but the rest will likely be shelved for another project.**

**Thoughts? Concerns? Questions? Just pointing out an error I made? Feel free to leave a review or PM.**


	4. Explanation

Chapter Four: Explanation

_Four Years Ago…_

Itsuka opened the binder that held all of her research, gathered from assorted news sources and reports she had managed to find. Today, she was able to add some more pieces to the puzzle she had been assembling.

Her father would be upset, but the questions gnawed on the back of her mind. And so she had sought out whatever scraps of information there were on the Six Hundred Hours, alternatively referred to as the Deep Ones' reign of terror.

Starting at the top.

"The Deep Ones were a short-lived group of terrorists operating out of Okinawa. Over the course of three and a half weeks, more than ten-thousand were killed in their reign of terror, with many more injured or displaced in the aftermath. Thanks to the quick response of local Hero agencies, police officers, and the timely arrival of All-Might, the villains were defeated and their followers subdued."

"Eldritch, a.k.a. Mei Liang. Quirk: Deep Call, an Emitter-type Quirk that summons eldritch horrors via singing." An aerial shot of a portal with a mass of tentacles stretching out and smashing buildings, a hooded figure watching from the sidelines. "Assumed to be the leader of the Deep Six, the notable figures within the gang. Killed in action."

Pictured with her file was the woman impaled a shard of glass. Eldritch had been a fairly big name, even before the formation of the Deep Ones, and her demise had been a great relief among both the Hero community and Law Enforcement agencies in the region. As had the next name on the list.

"Poseidon, Perseus Reed. Quirk: Tsunami." Flipping the page, there were several pictures, mostly possible sightings of the villain, and a picture that had survived the initial strike, a massive wave bearing down on the city. "Emitter-type that manipulates bodies of water. Killed in action."

It was all too easy for some to forget that powerful Quirks didn't make one invincible, and the Greek man that had been gunned down during the fighting was a perfect example of this, as was the morphed ground that had tripped him up long enough for the police to finish him off.

"Bonecrusher, a.k.a. Ezekiel Walker. Quirk: Bone Dance, creates constructs from bones of dead creatures. Possible Emitter-type, but exposed skeletal structure hints at possible Mutation, or even Transformation. Killed in action."

The picture of the massive pile of bones that had been blasted from one of her father's punches. The man himself hadn't survived the impact, though no one had shed any tears for this particular side effect.

The next shot was of a woman with red hair, though it looked dyed. "Havoc, a.k.a. Mari Ketsueki, a.k.a. Bloody Mary. Quirk: Vacuum, an Emitter-type that projects a pressure bubbles. Killed in action."

Even among the list of horrible atrocities committed by her and her peers, Havoc had the distinction of the most gruesome methods of dispatching her enemies, holes violently punched through buildings and bodies ruptured when the pressure abruptly shifted to the extremes.

"Locust, a.k.a. Suzumebachi Aburame." Itsuka leaned back when she saw bug-eyed mug shot, the man looking like a demented scarecrow. "Quirk: Hive, a Mutation-type that turns him into a production center for insects, with capabilities being determined at creation, and have a limited lifespan outside of their master's influence. Killed in action."

"Megalodon, a.k.a.…" Itsuka paused before reading the name that went along with the handle. "Haemon Calagione. Former sidekick of the Kung-Pow Agency. Quirk: Shark, a Mutation-type that grants him many qualities of a shark. Current status…" She sat up as she saw the mug shot of the man. "Detained."

Looking up at the shelf, the picture of the Hero agency her parents had been a part of stood in a place of honor. She picked it up, returning to her bed, comparing it to the mugshot from her binder of the battered, but smug visage of a man sneering at the camera.

The Hero names. Calagione was standing next to Itsuka's mother, with her father standing on the other side.

"Interesting research you're doing."

Itsuka jumped, literally to her feet, and turned around to face her father. He leaned over her desk where the file was spread out.

"I'm…" She trailed off, not sure what to say. "I didn't mean to pry…"

"It's fine," he replied, though the tiredness he radiated didn't reassure her all that much.

She settled at his side, him absently resting a hand on her head, brushing her hair.

"I was planning on telling you, at some point. Should have known you'd seek out the answers yourself. I would say that you take after your mother in that regard, but I think I have myself to blame for this."

Itsuka wasn't sure how to respond to that, then looked up at him. "What happened? How did Shark Boy become Megalodon? Why did he kill my mom?"

Her father was silent for a moment. "You certainly know how to cut to the chase," he said, eventually. "As for your questions, it's… a bit of a story. Not overly long, but you might want to sit down for it."

The two sat down on her bed. Looking up at her father, Itsuka saw his features shift as he gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Your mother and Haemon had gone to school together, joined the same Hero program, and my boss hired the two of them when they graduated. Since I was only a little older than the two of them, I ended up getting put in charge of them when they were starting out. Worked really well together, at least for a time." Her father paused, grimacing at the memories. "It was shortly before you were born, but we were tracking a villain who had been causing a ruckus. The man was a piece of work, with a laundry list of crimes, and he was skilled at hiding. When the rest of us were still pulling our hair out trying to find him, Haemon had managed to track him down while off duty, completely off the books. But instead of capturing him and sending him along legal channels, the villain was strung up on a streetlight. I managed to catch up to him shortly he had finished. It was a grisly sight."

Itsuka grasped her father's hand a little tighter.

"Regulations dictated that I report him," he continued, "even in light of our past friendship. My reasoning was that if his impulses weren't curbed, and quickly, it would grow out of control. He tried to convince me otherwise, but I already passed the message along to Kung-Pow. After the official reprimand, his reputation took a dive, he quit the agency, and then he fell off the face of the earth."

"Until Fuyuki," Itsuka murmured.

Her father nodded. "Until Fuyuki." Staring into the distance, Itsuka could imagine the scenes playing before his eyes. "That first wave had struck the coast hard. We responded, but they had swept through and left plenty more bodies in their wake. That's when we knew it wasn't some random shmuck with a powerful Quirk, but a concerted attack by an organized group of villains. Few survivors to speak of, even fewer eyewitnesses. It was chaos after that. Attack after attack, always a couple steps ahead. We caught a break by stumbling on a training camp they had set up, rounding up the ones present; mostly small-time thugs, with some disgruntled citizens and Hero course washouts to round out their numbers, but they had plans of the next attack."

"Did it help?" Itsuka asked.

Her father grimaced. "Maybe a little. I like to think it did. But, even knowing what we did about them, our preparations weren't nearly enough to put them down hard and fast. They came in force, with their strongest leading the charge, and their underlings swarming in after them. Fighting in the streets, Quirk usage rampant, I wouldn't be surprised if some citizens had stepped in to help. Being one of the more experienced of the lot, our agency was tasked with taking down the ringleaders."

For a moment, it seemed as though her father had gotten lost in his own world, but he sucked in another breath and soldiered on.

"Kung Pow and I had just taken down Bonecrusher, and that's when Haemon stepped in. In a straight fight, we would have beaten him, but he had come in loaded with black market Support gear, he was mostly fresh, and he came out swinging. Hardest fight of my life." He looked down at the braces. "Your mother had stepped in to protect me, but Haemon didn't care who got in the way at that point, even one of his oldest friends. He just wanted me gone. If All-Might hadn't showed up…I don't even want to think of it."

Itsuka leaned into her father's side. "Do you wonder how things could have happened differently?" she asked.

"All the time. Maybe your mother and I could have changed places. Maybe All Might could have moved faster. Maybe I could have said something to dissuade Haemon from going down the path he did in the first place. But in the end, we can't change what happened. We all made our choices, then and now. We make our choices, and in turn, they make us. All that matters now is how we move forward."

[IB]

_Three Years Ago…_

Tenya Iida was on his best behavior. As a son of the Iida family, it was his duty to uphold the family's name and reputation.

He had accompanied his big brother to the charity event, gala in Tokyo, where everyone was dressed in formalwear, and the two of them were dragged from pillar to post. As the current Ingenium, it was to be expected that others would be eager to take his measure, and so Tensei mingled with the assorted Heroes and luminaries of the community, fielding conversation with practiced ease.

That did not mean Tenya was not just the slightest bit bored with the affair. There was no one his age that he could see, and father had instructed him to stay close to his brother. No wandering off for any reason.

His brother tapped him on the shoulder. "Tenya," he whispered, pointing over to the other end of the room.

Peering between the gaps in the crowd, he spied two children being watched by a silver-haired bodyguard. The girl looked like a Yaoyorozu. Her companion with the green hair…Teyna could not place him. In any case they were probably of similar age to him In any case they were probably of similar age to him, and thus, someone he could theoretically speak to without feeling out of depth as he did with the other adults in the room.

"Come on," Tensei said, "let's go say hello."

The green-haired boy spotted their approach and perked up when he saw Tensei.

"Tensei," boy greeted, rising with a swagger and irrepressible smirk that was perfectly at home amongst the crowd they was currently with. And yet, despite the smirk, Tenya could not help but notice that far-off look in his eyes. "Good to see another friendly face around here."

"If it isn't my little pen-pal," Tensei replied, holding his hand up for a high-five. "How's it going, 'Zuku?"

"A new school year starts next week," the boy replied, returning the gesture.

Tensei chuckled a bit at this, shaking out his hand a little. "Speaking of which, I want you to meet someone." He pulled Tenya in front of him. "This here is my brother Tenya. He'll be at Soumei Junior High with you this coming school year."

"Is that so? I've heard quite a bit about you. Is your Quirk the same as your brother's?"

Tenya blinked, unsure of how to respond at first, but a gentle squeeze to his shoulder prompted him forward. "The placement of our engines is different, as is the fuel that sustains the usage thereof."

"Zuku" raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully expressive."

Tenya spared a moment to look up at his raised hands when the Yaoyorozu walked up beside and elbowed her friend. "Don't be rude, Izuku," she said, then held out her hand. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's nice to meet you."

"Right. Introductions." Izuku's smirk turned a little sheepish as he held out his hand. "Izuku Midoriya. And this is Yuri Emiya, my chaperone."

"Among many other titles," she added. "Ingenium, I believe this is my first time meeting you in person. Izuku speaks quite highly of you."

Tensei smirked and tussled Izuku's hair. "Can't say it to my face, can you?"

"I apologize for interrupting, but brother, how did you and Midoriya meet?" Tenya asked.

A moment of awkward silence passed. Midoriya and Yaoyorozu looked off to the sides, and Emiya stared at him blankly. Tenya wondered what it was that he had said that was in error, but, thankfully, Tensei filled the gap before the silence could go on longer.

"I met him on the job," he said, pulling Midoriya into a side-hug. "He was in a bit of trouble, so I help him out. Since then, he's been a bit of a fan."

Izuku gave a wry, brittle smirk, then maneuvered himself out Tensei's grasp, though not without getting his hair tussled during his escape, which found its original shape with a glinting of green light. "Well, since it seems we have so much to talk about, how about we find a table? And some food."

Practically swanning on by with Emiya at his heels, the rest of the little gathering trailing after them.

**A/N: I originally planned on adding a training session for Izuku, Momo, and Sho with Yuri, but something about that scene didn't fit right. Trying to force the issue is partly why this chapter took so long to complete. **

**Yeah, I got a little lazy in using Fuyuki City, or at least name-dropping it. Some of my projects have been bleeding a little into each other. And, yes. Itsuka's dad quoted Andrew Ryan. Of course, that isn't the only reference tucked away here. Most of the Deep Six have at least some component of their name, alias, or Quirk derived from another source (bonus points if you can name all of them).**

**And now we've officially met Tenya. The initial draft of the chapter had their meeting through Tensei's eyes, but I had already done his POV in the first chapter, and the scene fit better through the younger brother's perspective. If the end seemed a bit abrupt, I've been sitting on this for more than three months, so I wanted to wrap it up and move on with the story. Hopefully you won't have to wait another six months for it to be released.**

**Questions? Concerns? Comments? Even if it's to tell me that I should be more creative in coming up with names and Quirks, feel free to leave a review.**


	5. Deviation

Chapter Five: Deviation

_Two Years Ago…_

It was an off-day for physical training, for which Sho was exceedingly grateful. Unlike the rest of the sort-of study group that had gathered around Izuku, Sho had no real ambitions for running the streets as a Pro-Hero. He still appreciated the physical training, and had nothing but respect for their drive and passion for their goals.

Though there wasn't any morning physical training, on the other hand, mental exercises were very much the order of the day. Homework had been completed the day before, and Yuri had arranged for a mockup of the written portion of the exam.

Having just finished with that, Sho, Momo, and Tenya had convened at the Midoriya residence for the rest of the day.

"So, all of us are planning on applying for U.A.?" Sho asked.

Tenya answered first. "It was my brother's school, and he has often extolled how much he learned, both in and out of the classroom. Many of the contacts he developed for his career started there, so there is more to be found than just your education."

"Is he or your parents recommending you?"

"I have not asked."

"My mother has already offered me a spot with the recommended students," said Momo. "While I would like to try the general admissions, I think I might take her up on the offer."

"Would taking that route preclude me if I fall short of the standard?"

"The Recommendation exams are usually held the week before," Izuku said from his spot on the couch. "Gives those that didn't get selected to get in that route a chance to go through the general admissions. There's only four slots, so it's not all that uncommon."

"It is something to consider, all the same," Tenya admitted. "Since you were the one who asked, what are your intentions, Sho?"

"Support Department," Sho answered with an incredulous snort. "Where else would you find me?

"The mental ward," Izuku deadpanned.

Sho wadded up a sheet of paper and tossed it at his friend. "What are you planning on going with, Izuku?"

"Business."

"For real?" Sho sat up, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "Come on, when it comes to power, control, and versatility of a Quirk, you have us beat on the combined score. I don't think any of us failed the mockups of the written exams, and I can't imagine any of you failing the practical. Why would you hold yourself back like that?"

"I don't know. When I was little, I wanted nothing more than to be a hero. To save people with a smile."

"Has that changed?"

"Not really, but…" A melancholic smile graced Izuku's lips. "I know what I want out of life, I'm just not sure what I want to do with it beyond that. There's other things I know I could do that don't necessarily involve me being a Pro-Hero."

"You're not even trying for Heroics?"

"When did I say that?" Izuku asked, smirking at the aspiring Support student. "I'm still trying out for it, but…I guess I'm trying to position myself where I would be the most effective. Sure, I can fly around, move things around with my mind, but I was doing Hero analysis almost as soon as I knew what the word meant. It was something that came naturally, and I genuinely enjoyed it."

A motion out of the corner of Sho's eye stopped him from saying anything else. Momo momentarily caught his stare.

"Izuku is free to choose his own career path," she interjected. "And I'm sure he will put his best effort regardless of where he chooses to go."

"And I'm still keeping my options open," Izuku added, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, we've got, what? A year? Year and a half? Point is, there's still time before the final decision point, and some flexibility after that."

"How do you figure?" Sho asked.

An enigmatic smile graced Izuku's lips. "You remember Eraserhead?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Hardly surprising. He's an Underground Hero, and hates the spotlight. Anyhow, he wound up in the General Education department at the beginning, but got into Heroics after the Sports Festival. Unless that's been changed, transfers between departments can still happen, even if it isn't exactly advertised."

"That would still put you behind if you changed your mind."

"Only initially. And I'm good for rising to the challenge."

Yuri stepped into the room with a tray laden with assorted foodstuffs and beverages.

Sho perked up. "Snacks!"

Food and drinks close at hand, the four of them drafted their initial designs in a companionable quiet, interspersed with occasional chatter and music playing softly in the background. A pleasant way to spend the afternoon, and a couple of hours later, they started trading their designs.

Sho tapped the stylus against his chin as he looked over Tenya's. "Your design's pretty good. I'm not sure if there's anything I could think to add without crimping your style. Air bags?"

"My brother makes use of them in the line of duty. Given the similarities of our Quirks, it seemed prudent to incorporate that feature into my costume's design."

The motorized knight motif was generally solid, which was probably why the dozen or so people of the Iida family who had taken to the Pro-Hero scene favored it. A design refined over several generations and iterations, optimized for the family's move sets.

Sho handed over the tablet to Izuku to get his critique. Appraising eyes took in the design.

"Hm…looks kind of bulky," he said. "How are you- ah! So that's what you're making it out of. I was thinking it was actual armor."

"While having such protections would be ideal, the loss of speed and maneuverability would prove a greater detriment in the long run. At this point in time, I don't have the necessary stamina to handle protracted engagements while carrying excessive weights."

"Knowing what works for your Quirk like that does give you a leg up on the design process. What have you got, Momo?"

The Yaoyorozu heiress turned her tablet around, and got varying degrees of blushes from the boys.

As much as Sho's appreciation of the female form had increased in recent times, not only was it his cousin – and that was a line he had no interest in crossing – his honor as a prospective Support engineer demanded he put the best effort forward.

Sho took the tablet from her hands. "You know how Midnight and a few others got reamed for indecent exposure a few years back, and the laws that got brought up involving costumes after that?"

Momo grimaced. "Yes, I remember."

"Well, I think your leotard might be a little too close to the line."

"But my Quirk needs exposed skin to be effective."

Izuku cleared his throat. "There are practical ways of pulling that off without straying into questionable legality, while still retaining striking imagery."

Spending a few minutes of back and forth, quizzing Momo on her thoughts, they gradually pulled together a concept.

What they came up with was a halter-style tank top, and a metallic, magnetic zipper in the front, and a similar apparatus on the back. The shorts were pretty basic with a half-skirt around it; nothing really needed to be fancy in that sector. A utility belt, including the slot for her encyclopedia that sat below the square of her back. Fingerless combat gloves were added, with sleeves that could be slid down for using her Quirk. Knee-high socks made from the same materials as the gloves.

Momo reviewed the design, humming thoughtfully. "Not bad, though I still want red," she said. Sho did a quick fill-in for the color. "I might add a coat, or perhaps a cloak. Something that could be discarded, or otherwise adjusted for my Quirk."

"I have a few ideas," Sho said, saving the file one more time. "But I think that covers the essentials. Remember, we still have a year or so before we can even begin to start sending these in."

"Fortune favors the prepared." Izuku interjected. "Might I make a suggestion?"

Sho waved his hands out as invitation. "By all means."

"Full disclosure: I kind of stole this idea from a show I was watching a while back." He pulled up an image of a pair of bulky-looking bangles.

"Neat. But I imagine you aren't trying to trick Momo out in jewelry."

"Right, you are. This-" Tapping the tablet, the bangles then expanded and unfolded, forming a set of bracers with barrels pointing over the hands, "-is their combat mode."

"Interesting," Momo said, hand to her chin.

"The original design was intended for typical shotgun rounds, but you can fill it with plenty of other LTL options. In a pinch, you could probably just take some small beanbag rounds made from your Quirk and put them in, alleviating ammo carry."

Momo nodded. "I would have to experiment with that. Thank you, Izuku."

"What about you?" Sho asked. "What did you come up with?"

"I am also curious," Tenya added.

Izuku blinked, almost hesitating, then pulled up his own drawings, laying them out for the others to see. Displayed was green bodysuit with black trim, dark grey gloves and boots. Some armor plates appeared to be woven into the materials as an additional layer of defense to work in tandem with his Quirk. The helmet resembled that of a fighter pilot's, complete with polarized visor and a built in rebreather. Capping off the ensemble was a silvery cape trailing from the back.

"Is that a flight suit?" Momo asked.

"Looks like a lab coat to me," said Sho.

Izuku smirked. "The general idea is both. If I can use my Quirk to fly, I'm generally going to be hitting high speeds and rapid shifts in altitude. As for the lab coat, it fits some of the persona I'd be going for."

"I thought I was supposed to be the mad scientist? Hm…the cape might cause some problems for flight. Drag and catching onto things as you pass by. Also makes a pretty easy grab in a fight."

"I mostly included it as an emergency blanket. And style, of course. But if I need to ditch it in a pinch, the releases are on the lapels. Alternatively, I can extend my Quirk a little into it and use it as a shield."

Tenya looked it over. "It reminds me of one of All Might's earlier costumes."

"The Silver Age one?" Izuku looked back at the design. "I guess it does, doesn't it."

Sho narrowed his eyes, a teasing smile forming. "That's exactly what you were looking at when you picked this out, isn't it?"

Izuku idly scratched the back of his neck, tilting his head back to stare vacantly at the ceiling. "Perhaps," he murmured.

Chortling into his cup, Sho glanced over to Tenya. "You should see his stash of All-Might memorabilia. If it weren't a massive copyright issue, he'd probably do a full All-Might cosplay as his Hero costume."

"There is no reason to be embarrassed," said Tenya. "All Might is a worthy role model for any aspiring Hero, or even any person to look up to."

That slight air of unease vanished, a little light returning to Izuku's eyes. "He is."

[IB]

_One Year Ago…_

Itsuka watched the motley group of children as they went through their forms and katas. Her father had her taking up teaching, both sort of giving her an actual job, as well as a means to further her own knowledge of martial arts.

"_The best way to know how much you've learned is to see how well you pass it on to another."_

So, she was spending the afternoon watching her students go through things she had learned shortly after she learned to walk. It was cute how they would call her "sensei", and she had always wanted to be an older sister.

Leaning around the formation, she spotted one boy having trouble. A closer inspection readily identified the problem.

"Here," said Itsuka as she nudged the boy's foot ever so slightly, putting it into the proper angling for the stance. "Watch your footing. Straighten your back. There you go."

The boy scrunched his eyebrows together. "Why does that matter so much?" he asked.

"Because those little details make a great deal of difference in the long run. Maybe an amateur wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but to even a journeyman, those little details jump out." Stepping away, she smiled at him. "Besides, it's better to get these instincts engrained now instead of breaking a bad habit later on."

Satisfied with the answer, the boy beamed at her. "Thanks, Itsuka-sensei!"

Itsuka smiled at the little brat before moving back to observe the other students. She had wanted to be a big sister, and this was probably the closest she would ever get to the opportunity, even if she did get considered more as a mother hen.

"Things going well?" her father asked.

"Yeah."

"Good, good. Hey, Itsuka. You up for a quick lunch run? I already put the order in, but I need someone to pick it up."

"Sure," she answered, then turned to holler, "Yo, Mashi!"

Her tailed partner's head popped up from the herd of children. Quick-stepping his way around the kids, the blond came to a stop in front of the Kendos.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Need a battle-buddy to grab lunch. Want to come with?"

[IB]

Pizza. Her father had once again ordered pizza. The place was close by – walking distance, really – and already familiar with her and her father. On one hand, it was easy to carry in bulk, but she sometimes worried about her father's taste. She never said say anything about it. Not when it was one of those things her mother had liked that didn't leave him depressed.

Avoiding a similar train of thought, she turned to the tailed blond to ask about his plans for high school, when a loud clang and a panicked scream had her running towards the source.

Flattening against the wall, she peered into the alley, just in time to see the mass of sludge engulf an old man. Looking around, she saw no Heroes, no police in sight. A few bystanders were hanging around, but they either hadn't caught onto what was happening, or figured their odds of survival went up if they ignored it. They couldn't run for help. Unless help was already on its way, the man wouldn't survive.

"Mashi, call the police."

"Already on it. What are you doing?"

Setting the food down without answering, she ran towards the villain and his intended victim.

Fortunately, the mass of sentient sewage didn't notice her approach. He did, however, feel the distinct impact of an enlarged hand smashing against the approximation of his back, scattering bits of him across the alley.

Reaching in, her hand found purchase on the man's shoulder, and began to pull, slapping the mass of sludge as she yanked him free, then jumped back, tossing the man into the clear.

"Go!" she shouted, turning back to the villain. "Get out of here!"

Without any further prompting, the man began to flee as fast as his feet could carry him. No sooner was he booking it, and Itsuka entertaining the idea of following him, when the sludge swarmed back in, Itsuka slapping him back once more.

"You little brat!" he roared.

Her palms were throbbing a little, but the villain found no purchase on her hands, and she jumped back, narrowly avoiding a tendril swipe through the space she had been standing a moment before.

Enlarged hands clapped together, throwing her back and warding off the villain's next swing at her. The villain was quick. Quicker than she could realistically run. The element of surprise lost, and the villain closing in, she coiled back and braced for a spiteful punch, when a whirlwind of a punch flew in from behind, turning the villain to spray.

Letting out a breath, she sank to her knees and looked up at her savior. Only, she had to look up a bit more than usual.

Seven feet and change made for quite the imposing figure that was All-Might, Symbol of Peace, and a bit of a pain in the neck to look up at from the ground.

"Sorry about that back there!" the Number One Hero said, jovially. "I'm usually better when keeping bystanders safe. But the sewers around here are a maze!" Laughing that iconic laugh, he helped Itsuka to her feet with a yelp of surprise.

"How did you…" she gasped, the adrenaline still wearing off.

"I had been chasing the ruffian for a little while now. Thankfully, I passed by your friend right here."

Behind him, Mashi looked to be in shock, as was the old man. Something Itsuka could relate to.

Smiling wider than she imagined possible, All-Might flashed a thumbs-up at her. "Good work with the villain back there. You were a big help!"

"Um…" She blushed a little at receiving praise from All Might. "Thank you, sir."

"Is she going to be in trouble, All Might, sir?" he asked, hesitantly. "I know there's rules about illegal Quirk usage…" She could practically feel the pointed stare at the back of her head.

Itsuka tapped her fingers together, averting her eyes.

"Not to worry! Given the circumstances, it could be attributed to self-defense. Though I would be remiss not to warn you of the dangers of doing so, young miss."

In short order, the police arrived, taking statements and collecting the villain, neatly scooped into a pair of bottles All-Might helpfully supplied for the occasion. Explanations were given for Itsuka's involvement, but aside from some minor reprimand from the responding officers, no further punishment was deed necessary. Once released, the older gentleman rushed off, mumbling something about the lottery. She didn't feel the need to pry.

Her attention was focused on the Symbol of Peace.

As he turned to walk away, she noticed a strange list to his step. Almost imperceptible, but she had plenty of experience of watching kids try to act tough when they needed to take a break.

_Is he in pain?_

She wanted to ask him about it, but that wasn't something she wanted to just blurt out in front of everyone, especially if she was right.

"Come on, Mashi. We should get back."

[IB]

Washing the dishes dinner had been a quiet affair after they had gotten home. The elder Kendo was simmering. Not necessarily angry, but worried about her reckless actions.

It _was_ a reckless decision. One that had nearly gotten her killed, if not for All Might's intervention.

So lost in her thoughts, missed the doorbell ringing at first, only snapping out of her thoughts when her dad got up to answer.

"I'll get it," he said, waving her off.

Going back to the dishes, she was soon interrupted again by All-Might's voice.

"Ah, this is a surprise."

"Yagi?" her dad replied.

All-Might cleared his throat, lightly tugging his shirt collar. "Forgive me for dropping by so late, but do you mind if I come in?"

"No, sure, you're good…" her dad murmured, ushering him inside. "We kind of finished dinner here, but I can whip up some tea if you're game."

"That would be delightful, Kendo-sempai."

Itsuka's brain train derailed, and she hastily stifled a laugh. "Kendo-sempai? What?"

Her dad snorted and jerked his head in All-Might's direction. "Yagi here was my junior at U.A."

Itsuka turned to her dad. "Oh? I'm sure you both have plenty of stories."

"All of which can wait until later. So what brings the top-ranked professional hero to this neck of the woods? Not that I mind seeing a friendly face, but the last time we talked face to face was a few years back."

"Just checking in on young Itsuka here, though I am surprised to find that the young lady who gave us a bit of a fright earlier was your daughter."

Her father glanced over his shoulder, concern and pride mingling on his face.

"Hey, dad, I'm going to show All Might my attempt at restoring a motorcycle."

"Give me a holler if you knock anything over."

"That was one time, dad!" she shot back. "Whatever. Work on the tea."

Walking into the garage, or rather, a garage converted into a gym with a half-finished motorcycle sitting on a set of cinderblocks in the corner. She had found the frame in a dump and had been tinkering with it for several months, pending her working up the funds to replace some harder to find parts.

"Well. There it is. Not much to look at just yet."

All Might gave it a closer inspection. "You have some interesting talents, young Kendo."

_Now or never, _she thought, and said "All Might, sir, um…" How did she think this was a good idea? "I don't meant to pry, but are you feeling okay?"

The Number One Hero paused for a moment. "Pardon me?"

"Well, I'm used to picking out when someone's on top of their game and when someone's pretending for appearances." She grimaced at how she phrased that. "Also, I don't think enough people ask how you're doing and expect an honest answer. Being in the top spot in Heroics has to be stressful."

"I guess there's nothing really for it."

He hunched over, grimacing as smoke began to wisp from him.

Before her eyes, All Might deflated like a sad balloon. The smoke cleared and she saw the withered skeleton of a man where the Symbol of Peace was the moment before. Itsuka blinked, then the realization dawned.

"Ah…"

Slumping against the wall, he lifted his shirt. Even with some of the injuries she had seen in training, at the dojo, or during tournaments, it was all she could do not to vomit at the sight. The gnarled web of scars circling his ribcage, where something _big _had punched a hole. Injuries like that were usually fatal.

"Oh."

All Might stared at the scars, as if lost in his own thoughts. "Pretty nasty, isn't it." He sounded so tired saying that.

"What happened?" she asked, cautiously.

"Got in a big fight about five years back. Half of my respiratory system got demolished along with my stomach. The surgeries and aftereffects left me looking like this."

"I don't remember hearing about it." _A fight big enough to cripple All Might should have been noticeable from the next prefecture. And he's still been working all this time with these injuries?!_

"Worked pretty hard to keep it that way," he answered, letting the shirt fall back down, he looked at her in the eye. "The public can't know about this. I'm sure you understand."

"I won't tell anyone. I promise." She looked down where the scars were. "Is there something I can do to help? Can I get you something?"

All Might's smile was brittle and grim. "Thanks, but anything that can be done is already done or being done. I walk around in public easily enough like this and no one bats an eye. The benefit of the world of Quirks, I guess." His next breath was pained. "Pros risk their lives every single day."

"So does everyone walking down the streets. That run-in back there proves it best. That's never stopped me from going to school, or pretty much anything else in life. Hasn't stopped me from wanting to be a Professional Hero."

The Symbol of Peace raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to be a Hero?"

Itsuka shuffled her feet, suddenly nervous. "I help people all the time; it's just something that I do. Whether it's helping new kids in karate classes, helping my classmates with their studies, or simply listening to someone's problems…" She shrugged, not sure how to articulate that which she rarely spoke of to anyone, even her father or Obsidian. Whether he had meant to or not, All Might had let her know something he had been keeping under wraps for years, and it felt natural to reciprocate. "At this point, it's less of a habit and more of a compulsion, even if I do get told off every once in a while."

"And running straight into danger?"

"There wasn't anyone I could see that could help. I was there, I felt like I had to do something, or else that man wouldn't be alive by the time I could have found anyone else." Hands fell to her side, clenched into fists. "It was an easy decision after that. Even seeing how messed up things can end for a Pro" – _dead, broken, __**villain**_– "that hasn't stopped me from wanting help others."

"There's plenty of other ways to help others-"

"But none of them are what I want."

A gaze of steel leveled at the Number One Hero, who sat in some manner of stunned silence. When it began to feel like she had said too much, or said the wrong thing, All Might chuckled a little, suppressing a bloody cough.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" she asked.

"It's fine." He leaned back, deep in thought. Then he laughed. "Ah…it must be fate."

Itsuka tilted her head to the side. "Sir?"

"I've got something I want to run by you." Standing up, All Might – even withered, he was still tall – looked down at her. "You see, I've been looking for a successor…"

[IB]

"_Someone to take my place."_

Itsuka jogged to Dagobah Beach just before the crack of dawn. Her itinerary discussed with her father, she left a note with a rough time she expected to be back.

Arriving at the parking lot, she grimaced. She knew the place had been used as a dumping ground for years, but the mountain range of garbage spanning the entire beach beggared belief.

All Might wasn't anywhere to be seen. Glancing down at her watch, she realized she had arrived a few minutes earlier than intended. Her nerves must have been getting to her. With no sign that her new mentor was anywhere close, she decided to explore for a bit.

The walkway had been buried under a rather fresh-smelling load of garbage, along with some spare car parts, so she mantled the concrete barrier and hopped into the labyrinth of junk. The old adage "one's trash is another's treasure" was lingering on her mind. While she doubted she'd find a reasonably intact motorcycle, perhaps she'd find something unexpected.

_Speaking of unexpected… _she thought, recalling All Might's words.

"_I deem you worthy of receiving my powers."_

That pronouncement had been a shock. A Quirk that had been cultivated nearly since the beginning of the Quirk Age, a legacy spanning generations, and creating one of the foremost heroes of modern times. And he had chosen to pass that torch on to her.

It was a lot to take in.

She still had questions, like how such a power came to exist in the first place, but that could wait until later. For now, she had to condition her body before she could inherit One for All. Once it was hers, she would ask again, if he didn't broach the subject after the transfer.

"You're intruding."

Itsuka started and looked behind her.

Up on a stack of trash, a boy with green hair sat cross-legged, mostly obscured by a cloud of junk floating around him clockwise in a vague semblance of order, few if any of the objects bouncing against each other. Nothing to indicate any form of distraction by her presence, not even a flicker to the faint glow of green surrounding the debris.

"Isn't that kind of Quirk usage illegal?" she asked.

"Technically," he admitted, inclining his head. "I've got the necessary permits, if you're curious, which are restricted to this beach. Hence my mild irritation by your interruption."

"It _is _public property."

That earned a laugh. "True enough, hence the emphasis on _mild_. It's not that big a deal, really. By the way, you might want to take a few steps back."

The cloud of debris spread out a little further before dropping in a neat circle around him. His hair was tied back into a ponytail and tucked into the back of his green tracksuit. Some freckles dotted his face and an unnerving stare, but other than that, he looked sort of plain.

"So," he said, climbing down from his mountain, "what brings you out here?"

"Training," Itsuka replied. "My mentor is having me haul trash off of the beach for physical conditioning. Gotta be fit for entrance exams."

"I see. I'm not used to people coming here for more than to chuck more trash into the pile. A couple of scroungers here and there, but you don't look like you're equipped for that. And if you're up this early for a task as mountainous as this for training, you must be trying to get into one of the Hero academies, correct? I'm guessing U.A. or Shiketsu…but you strike me more as U.A. material."

Itsuka crossed her arms. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Your facial twitches give you away." Walking past her, he thrust his hands into his pockets. "Besides, it isn't all that surprising that girl who took on Muddy would be on the track for greater things."

"Who?"

"The sludge villain you helped take down."

Before she could follow up, All Might called her name.

"Ah, Sensei!" She wasn't sure what form he was in, so she erred on the side of caution when she hollered back. "Over here!"

A muscled All Might stepped around the corner. "Young Kendo, I was wondering where you had gotten off to!"

The green haired teen hummed thoughtfully. "And you have All Might as your mentor? U.A. is practically certain." He turned to the hero, offering a hand. "A pleasure to meet you in person."

If the Symbol of Peace was taken aback by the casual regard he was receiving, it didn't show. If anything, he seemed a little…tense, maybe?

"The pleasure is mine, young man. Might I know your name?"

"Izuku Midoriya," he gave a precise bow, flourishing his hand, "at your service." Wincing a little, he straightened up. "You must get this from everyone, but-"

"You want an autograph, young man?" All Might finished.

Izuku chuckled, weakly. "I have a friend who'll never believe me otherwise." He paused and looked at Itsuka. "Might as well get Kendo's while I'm at it."

"Me?" Itsuka asked, slightly taken aback. "Seems a little premature, don't you think?"

He gave a lazy shrug. "I like to think I have good instincts about this sort of thing."

After All Might had jotted his extravagant signature on the boy's notebook, he passed it to her to sign.

"Thank you both for your time," Izuku said, taking the notebook back. "Good luck with your training!"

Both mentor and protégé stared at the retreating figure, curious expressions on their faces. Once the enigma had disappeared from view, All Might let his muscle form slip with a sigh.

"Well, that was kind of weird," said Itsuka.

"That was a rather mild reaction compared to what I usually get." He was silent for a second before suddenly booming back into muscle form. "Now, enough chit-chat. Let's get to work!"

**A/N: Izuku and Itsuka have officially met, and that effectively wraps up the Prologue arc. The next chapter will be starting on the Entrance Exam.**

**On related subjects, this chapter was a pain in the neck to write, and after several months of tinkering with it, I finally threw my hands up and said "screw it". Anywho, both segments went through multiple revisions before coming to what you see here, and are a result of combining parts of the initial draft and a deleted scene from what would have been part of a later chapter. Still a little unsatisfied with the final product, but at least it's done. **

**Moving along, Yaoyorozu's new outfit is a mixture of Yang Xiao Long (**_**RWBY**_**, Vol. 1-3), Tifa Lockheart (specifically **_**Advent Children**_**), and Dante (**_**Devil May Cry**_**,****namely, borrowing his coat from DMC 4). Girl deserves some sick duds, and hopefully it makes enough sense not to compromise her power set.**

**As for Midoriya's costume, it draws influence from Dr. Horrible's lab coat and Vulture's gear from Spider-Man: Homecoming. The cape is, as stated, influenced by All Might, who I imagine drew influence from Nana Shimura. Funny how that works.**

**That should cover everything of importance. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Some part of Japanese customs, courtesies, and etiquette I screwed up? Feel free to leave a review or PM.**


	6. Initiation

Chapter Six: Initiation

_Present Day…_

Izuku stood still as a statue among the headstones. A few others could be seen here or there, they were all a comfortable distance away. Distant thunder and clouds of rain passing on and sunlight breaking through the dreary sky of a passing storm.

_Here lies Midoriya Inko_

_Beloved wife and devoted mother_

Taking a deep breath, he set the bouquet he had brought with him before her earthly remains. It was a superfluous gesture, but it felt more real having something physical to interact with.

"Hey, mom," he said, pasting on a smile. "Today's the day. Going to be taking the entrance exam for U.A." The façade slipped, and he hands thrust into his pockets. "I know you would have preferred a safer occupation, but…I don't think that was ever going to be a possibility."

A spot remained for the old man, wherever he was. Hisashi Midoriya was still alive, as far as legal matters were concerned, but there was nothing official concerning his status. Not that Izuku expected anything else. He had more than two centuries of experience in moving around unseen, and the supposed death of his more…clandestine persona meant there were fewer people looking for him.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but as long as he's still out there, I don't think I'll ever be able to rest, and I know he'll never stop. This is just the next step to an end. Not a peaceful one, but an end all the same. So…I guess, wish me luck. We'll talk again later."

Dismissing the phantom sensation of a set of hands resting on his shoulder, he flicked his sunglasses open and onto his face, spun on his heels, and made his way back to the sidewalk. A train ride, another sidewalk and he spotted Iida waiting at the station.

A quick exchange of small-talk, and conversation drifted to the recommendation exams earlier in the month.

"I am saying that there must be some quality I am presently lacking."

Izuku laughed. "Tenya Iida, there were only four slots, and U.A. is the most competitive Hero school in the nation. It's not a mark against your capabilities or potential that you didn't get selected. Heck, Momo almost didn't get selected. If that other guy hadn't punched at the last minute, she'd be taking the general admissions exam with the rest of us."

The duo made their way through the front gates of the U.A. campus. Surprisingly, there wasn't much of a crowd, but there was still some time before things got started, so they were most likely slipping through the two rushes.

"Out of my way, extra," a familiar voice barked.

Izuku barely flinched as the blond tried to elbow him. "Still as mannered as ever, Katsuki Bakugo."

The blond stood up straight, turning back around with a sneer, which deepened into a rictus of rage when he recognized who he had bumped into.

"Deku…" he snarled. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, the Annual U.A. Bake Sale, of course!" Izuku said, laying on cheer like frosting a cake and throwing out a shrug for added effect.

Bakugo sneered, then stormed off in a huff. "Whatever. Just stay out of my way. Or better yet, watch in awe as I shoot for the top."

"Later, _Ka-chan_," Izuku called out at the departing blond. Looking around, he noticed they had picked up something of an audience, but since nothing of interest had happened, they soon dispersed.

"Arrogant twit," he heard someone mutter.

"That wasn't very nice," a brunette said, before going on her way.

Tenya's brow furrowed. "Who is that delinquent, and why does he seem to know you?"

"Him?" Izuku asked, jabbing a thumb in Katsuki's direction. "We grew up together, sort of. Even started at the same elementary school." Izuku narrowed his eyes at Katsuki's back again as he disappeared into the building. "His parents sort of took me in for a time, so I've kept up with the family, even if Ka-chan and tend to keep a distance. Doesn't seem like he's changed too much, though."

"I see." Iida hummed. "And the insulting nicknames?"

"He calls me Deku, I call him Ka-chan. Turnabout's fair play and all, and it pisses him off less if you can return fire."

"That strikes me as incredibly toxic."

"Eh, less troublesome than trying to ignore him or running away." Rolling his shoulders back, Izuku stepped towards the front door of U.A. "Enough of that. Let's get inside."

[IB]

_Wow_, Izuku thought._ Attending one of the top Hero schools in the country, being given instructions by Present Mic himself, and the only response is silence._ Izuku nearly cheered by his lonesome, just to make things weird, but decided not to draw attention to himself until he got the lay of the land.

Pinching his lower lip as he mulled over the information. Eyes flicked over to Tenya's paperwork, noting a different training center than his own for the practical portion of the exam.

"Looks like they'll be splitting us up," he whispered.

"It would make sense they would keep students from the same school separated to prevent friends from teaming up together. It would ruin the metrics and integrity of the practical exam."

"Or maybe they're serving us up to the resident elder god."

Tenya paused and did a double-take while reading through the handout. "This must be an error."

"What is?"

"He has only gone over three of the villain types listed on the handout."

"They went through the effort to put it on the handout, so I imagine not. He's probably building the hype up. Feel free to bring it up for the benefit of the others, if you feel like it."

Tenya stood up. "Excuse me!" he said, voice cutting through the auditorium, drawing all eyes on him. Izuku kept an ear open to his friend's passionate diversion, which included calling out a pair of chuckleheads. Present Mic had no trouble with the interruption, and took the opportunity to segue into the subject.

Izuku raised an eyebrow when Tenya sat back down. The exact wording left things open to interpretation. You wouldn't lose points for taking it down, there was simply no gain for attacking it, at least by appearance.

The assembly was dismissed, the applicants dispersing to get changed. On the way, Tenya was still dwelling on the briefing.

"I still don't understand why they would incorporate an obstacle that provides no value."

"It's all going to be part of the test. Regardless of whether we're expected to engage it or not, I imagine how we react will be noted. And if I were the betting sort, I'd wager on it showing up when things start to slow down. Possibly once enough bots are destroyed." Tenya chewed on that for a bit, then Izuku bumped him in the side. "Just keep your eyes and ears open, and be mindful of your surroundings."

The furrows eased and Tenya gave him an easy smile. "I will. Good luck, Midoriya."

[IB]

Battle Center B. Practically an entire city, with several more like it distributed across U.A.'s campus. Izuku whistled as he pondered the possibilities. Were there utilities? Was it furnished? He couldn't imagine them building this just for the entrance exams, so they probably had other uses, likely urban training for the students.

"Can you imagine how much it cost to build this?" someone asked.

"A lot," a guy with a bandana answered. "Not as much as if people actually lived here, but still."

Izuku smirked, and added, "and since they're about to let a bunch of middle-schoolers with Quirks loose for game of search-and-destroy, they have the resources to rebuild it after we're finished."

Several students stared in awe, then back at the simulated urban center. "Wow."

"U.A. is amazing!"

"Get moving!" Present Mic shouted from his lookout, his voice blaring through the intercom. "There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, run, run, listeners! You're wasting airtime here!"

Izuku took a deep breath as the stampeding herd thundered through the gates, donning his goggles and giving his gloves some final adjustments.

_All for One: Initial Release. _At his mental command, Izuku's Quirk came alive with a minute flare of light. In the sanctum of his mind, inky tendrils surged to life, connecting to the Quirks in his possession. _Up Gear 4._ Connections to Push, Pull, and Reinforcement ignited brackish green, Bullet Time simmering in reserve with minimal power.

All of this happening in the span of a couple of heartbeats, and he slowly picked up the pace to follow after them. Once he entered the city proper, he Pushed against the pavement and launched himself to the nearest ledge, then bounced higher, a pulse of green light accompanying each takeoff, with a final Push skyward to get a bird's eye view of the city.

The faux-villains were scattered pretty evenly, but concentrated a bit more densely towards the center of the city. What's more, as the column of students began to disperse, the robots began to mobilize in response.

Committing the layout to memory, he Pulled himself back down to earth, aiming for a cluster of robots that hadn't yet been aggro'd, stomping a 2-pointer into the pavement, metal buckling under reinforced legs. He turned his focus to a 1-pointer and Pulled towards it, swinging around its neck and using it as an anchor to launch towards a 3-pointer, driving his fist through its faceplate, reaching in and Pull the insides to his hand.

Kicking off, he nearly hit another 1-pointer that came up behind him while his back was turned, bringing its arm down on Izuku's head only stopping short when he caught the offending appendage. Grabbing tight, followed by an anchor, a Pull, then swung the robot overhead and into the pavement, smashing the first 1-pointer as it struggled towards him, taking both out play.

Seven points in the first minute. Looking at the timer still counting down on his HUD, he got his breathing under control and launched himself skyward once more in search of his next target.

Some of the faster students having taken to circling around, sweeping up some easy points while the slower examinees simply charged towards the center, fighting over villains to take down.

Izuku decided to avoid that scuffle and aimed to where a couple of the students drifted off by themselves, then Pulled down on another 2-pointer harassing some other kids, riding it along the pavement, then hopping off to go after a pair of 1-pointers.

A pair of 1-pointer that was soon contested by a guy coated in metal, pounding his fists into it until it all but exploded.

"Watch what you're doing," a purple-haired boy shouted from behind one of the concrete barriers.

Metal man drooped a little, then jumped off and repeated the maneuver on the other 1-pointer. Emerging from the wreckage and his apparent daze, he set his sights on purple-hair, stomping up to the other kid and grapping him by the front of his shirt.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" he shouted, the metal receding.

Izuku rolled his eyes and moved to intervene. "Hey." Iron man wasn't listening, so he tried again. "Hey!" He floated himself towards the ensuing scuffle and shoved the two apart, getting a good look at the other guy's face. "Settle down."

The gray-haired teen – and that was an impressive set of eyebrows – rounded on Izuku. "HE TOOK CONTROL OF ME!"

"Okay, dick move on his part. If you're really all that pissed off, you can discuss it like a sensible person after the exercise. Besides, Present Mic said no going after the other participants. Now run along. There should be more bots to the northeast if you hurry."

Bushy-brows scowled, and Izuku smiled blandly in return. The kid's little tantrum was nothing compared to Tomura on a bad day, let alone Hisashi when he got partway serious. He looked about ready to continue the…discussion, but thought better of it at the last second, stomping off in search of more faux-villains, loudly fuming imprecations.

"Bye," Izuku said with a parting wave, then turned his attention to purple-hair. "Mind control?"

The boy nodded slowly, apprehensive.

Looking back at the robot, it was a fairly easy conclusion to draw. "And it only works on people, right?"

Another nod.

"Well, that sucks. You have an instant 'game over' of a Quirk and they won't let you show it off." Walking off, oblivious to the perplexed expression on the boy's face. "There might be better ways to get points, though; I don't think that one counted for you, and I don't think you're going to make any friends if that's how you've been operating. What's your name, by the way?"

Blinking owlishly, Purple Hair slowly replied. "Um…Shinso."

Izuku shot a grin over his shoulder. "Call me Midoriya. Come on, Shinso. And grab some scrap. I know of some villain bots a block down that no one should have gotten yet."

[IB]

From the observation center, Toshinori Yagi, better known as All Might, watched the proceedings with rapt attention. For the first time in…well, it had been a long time since he was a student. Point was, for once in seemingly forever, he was once again the least experienced person in the room. One for All may have been passed on, but that wasn't the only thing he was good for, and he was determined to put forth his best effort.

In addition to the numerous monitors showing different angles over the testing centers, a leaderboard for each one, including a running count of points. Nedzu had his own console with a mind-boggling juggling act as he kept track of the students, pulling up their applications, making notations. Toshinori couldn't keep up with the flow of information, so he kept his focus on the happenings on screen.

In Battle Center A had a blond stringing along a column of robots before blasting them into scrap heaps. He was good, skilled with his Quirk and tenacious, but All Might had some reservations with his attitude, considering he nearly hit the other U.A. hopefuls with shrapnel. In Battle Center D, a boy with a wind Quirk was sweeping through the robots, using the 1-pointers as ammunition against the sturdier targets.

Over in E, young Kendo was handling herself well. Not just for her ability to take down the faux villains, but for her desire to help her peers. Her sense of fair play was only a slight detriment to her performance so far, and more than paid off for the rescue points accrued. Once again, she was showing herself a worthy successor for One for All.

If only Nighteye agreed with that assessment. It was a tragedy, really. The first time he and his old partner had spoken in years, rather than reconciliation, and all it had led to was more arguments. There was no use dwelling on it, though. The torch had been passed to Kendo. The course was hers to determine.

Having enough wool-gathering, he focused on the prospective students. He found his gaze drawn to one screen in particular, a boy with green hair diving down on a group of robots, harrying some of his peers.

_That boy…_

As first impressions go, Midoriya had left a strange one. Apart from asking for an autograph, he acted as if Toshinori was simply another person he met on the street. Seeing him here was too big a coincidence to dismiss out of hand.

"I see young Midoriya has caught your attention, as well," Nedzu said, disrupting Toshinori's train of thought. "Would you mind sharing your analysis on his progress?"

"He has a knack for shock and awe," Toshinori replied. "And not many his age have that degree of control of their Quirk, or even some Pros."

"He'll have plenty of rescue points, I'm sure." He paused, watching Midoriya defuse a confrontation between two other prospects. "And his leadership capabilities are also admirable. It's almost a shame that he is prioritizing Management over Heroics."

"Can he do that?" Cementoss asked.

Power Loader twisted around in his seat. "Not all that common, but usually it's with the Support applicants wanting to demonstrate a proof of concept in a practical setting."

"It's a good quality to have," Obsidian added, "even if he never has to leave the office."

There was something else niggling in the back of Toshinori's mind when he saw Midoriya on the beach, but now the feeling had grown stronger. As if he was reminded of someone, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out who.

For now, he decided to shove the feelings aside. If they continued to bother him, he might ask his old teacher to keep an eye out.

Minutes ticked by, the number of faux-villains thinning to single digits in most test areas.

"Hmm…looks like we have a promising crop this year," said Midnight.

"We can't be sure of that yet," Snipe countered. "And there's still plenty of time before it's over. The real test begins now." Pressing the big red button on the console. "Let's see how they react."

[IB]

A giant crash startled all the examinees in Ground E.

"Go, go, go!" Itsuka shouted, dragging an examinee up to her feet and sending her on her way. If something that big had hit, they needed to get out of its way before it made an appearance.

Not that they had to wait long. A shadow fell on the mock city, and Itsuka looked up at the metallic giant rearing its head above the buildings that surrounded it, hands crushing everything in its path.

Itsuka blinked at the new threat. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

[IB]

_So that's the environmental hazard?_ Katsuki grinned like a maniac and ran at the zero-pointer with a will. "This one's mine!"

[IB]

Shinso ran for cover while Izuku looked up at the rampaging giant, unimpressed.

"U.A. really knows how to show off," he said, though no one really paid any attention as they fled in terror.

Ignoring the panicking prospects running past him, Izuku gathered and flung bits of falling debris back at it at the zero-pointer's faceplate, the chunks of broken building dinging off with little appreciable effect.

"Fan-friggin'-tastic," he grumbled. "Guess I'll have to put a work out a different approach."

He was about to launch himself up for a better angle, when a cry of pain caught his attention.

Directly in the path of the rampaging bot, pinned beneath some rubble, was the brunette he had seen at the front gate.

Rather than go to the rooftops like he was planning, he hopped over to the girl, flipping the rubble away and tossing it at the zero-pointer to give it something to think about. Once she was freed, he pulled the girl out of the immediate line of fire, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and launched out of the robot's way.

Unfortunately, the zero-pointer had singled him out as a priority target, knocking down a building as it turned to pursue him.

"Just another one of those days," he mumbled, landing a relatively safe distance away from the rampaging zero-pointer.

"You good?" he asked.

She wordlessly nodded, blushing heavily.

"Think you can walk?"

A pause, then a quick shake of her head.

"Right. Shinso!"

Thankfully, the other boy hadn't gotten too far and realized he was being called, and responded quickly. Without preamble, he passed the girl over, nearly knocking him over.

"Get her and yourself out of here. You're in the splash zone."

"The what? What are you going to do against that?"

"You'll see~" Heedless of their confusion, Izuku began approaching the skyscraper-sized machine. "Now, how do you go down?"

Given the size, simply pushing it over wasn't an option; too much mass to destabilize and not a strong enough anchor. And most of his practical offensive abilities were liable to hit other students on the other side of the target, would take too long to set up, or otherwise cause unnecessary destruction. Knowing his luck, he'd get docked for something like that. No, we would have to get up close and personal for this one.

_All for One: Up Gear 5._ Funneling a smidge more energy to Bullet Time, he let Pull's connection fade, trading places with Shard to form a base for Limelight to shape, fashioning a simple, straight blade, then applied Reinforcement on it, hardening the normally fragile construct for the task he had in mind. Weapon in hand, he broke into a dead sprint towards the machine. Unsurprisingly, the metallic titan zeroed in on him, bringing a massive palm down.

He sidestepped the zero-pointer's hand, then jumped onto the arm, focusing some of Reinforcement into his shoes for a grip as he ran up the colossus, slashing at it along the way. The zero-pointer made an attempt to dislodge him, sweeping its other arm down his path.

"No you don't!"

He brought the blade up and sliced through the arm, forcing the gap open when the construct crumbled and disintegrated, then jumped through, swinging the severed appendage into the robot's optics.

Not finished, Izuku let go of Bullet Time and Shard to reignite Pull and Frequency, then Pulled towards the robot's damaged face, driving his fist through the warped plates that made up the surface, dialing up Frequency. The metal casing serving as an echo chamber, reflecting the sound-waves back into itself until the thing's brain overloaded.

_ No, that was the backup power supply for the optics_, he corrected. "Ah, crap."

Izuku jumped off moments before the head exploded and flared out Push, warding off the cloud of debris. However, a piece of shrapnel was able to carry through, slamming into his head. Everything went black…

[IB]

_"Oh no!" _his mother's voice cried.

_ "He'll live," _another voice said. _"Might have a headache, but the boy's tough."_

"_Passion is all well and good, young grasshopper," _a third voice added, _"but don't let your pride overshadow your ability." _

"_Hey, he could have gotten through just fine if he'd used my-"_

"_Shh!" the other voices hissed._

_ "I told you not to get cocky,"_ Nana chided.

The voices receded and his vision began to return.

[IB]

"Ugh…Release."

Izuku regained consciousness in time to gently plop back to the ground; a marked improvement from what he was expecting. He cheek smarted slightly, but it wasn't the taste of pavement delivered at terminal velocity. All for One had returned to Full Lock automatically, so none of his Quirks were mucking around on their own. Always a good sign.

"Son. Of. Ahh…how…?" Shinso panted out.

Blinking in surprise, Izuku took in his surroundings. The brunette he rescued proceeded to vomit over the side of the debris she was on, with Shinso breathing heavily, hands planted on his knees. The zero-pointer had stopped moving and had lopped back, presumably from the force of the explosion. "Thanks for the save," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

Gravity girl smiled, weakly. "I wouldn't have been able to get there in time if he hadn't carried me out here."

"Wasn't expecting to bodily haul someone today," Shinso groaned, too tired to be flustered by the praise.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "You only hauled her, what? A hundred feet? Two? How are you so tired?"

Shinso twisted around to look at him. "How did that not take off your head?"

"I have a thick skull." Izuku pressed a hand against the cut, wincing at the amount of blood that covered his hand. "Still, probably better get some medical attention."

"_Time's up!" _Present Mic announced, accompanied by the sirens.

Shinso looked crestfallen. "Guess I'm off to General Education."

Gravity girl did a double-take "What? Why?"

"I only got a couple of points, maybe."

"Really? That's a bummer."

"You're telling me."

"You think you passed the written portion then?" Izuku asked.

"For whatever it's worth," Shinso answered tiredly.

"Then you're not done yet." Seeing Recovery Girl make her way through the carnage and the mingling examinees that had begun to gather around. "And it looks like the medic has arrived."

[IB]

Itsuka stared at the crumbling wreckage of the zero-pointer. She was fairly certain she had broken her arm in the last punch, but the villain had been blown away, removing it as a threat to her and the other applicants. All Might hadn't been kidding when he said One for All had a massive kickback.

"Everyone okay?" she asked.

A chunk of rubble shrank back down to its original side. "Hm."

[IB]

"Piece of cake," Katsuki growled, standing atop of the zero-pointer's smoldering corpse. Since time had run out and the battle was over, everyone else slowly gathered to see his accomplishment.

_As they should. _

Stomping on the fallen robot, he shouted at the other participants. "Remember, extras. This is just the beginning."

They could watch from the side of road or they could be stepping stones on the path to his triumph. He was shooting for the top. He would surpass All Might, and no one, not even Dead-eyed Deku, would stand in his way.

[IB]

_Itsuka Kendo, Quirk: Big Hands (increases the size, strength, and resilience of her hands), One for All (accumulates power as it is passed from vessel to vessel, exponentially increasing physical abilities and supercharging any resident Quirk)._

_Izuku Midoriya. Quirk: All for One (allows for the acquisition and imparting of other Quirks)._

**A/N: Feel free to play **_**Rules of Nature**_** for Izuku's little display. Anywho, I didn't really want to belabor the entrance exam, so we're moving onto the aftermath, followed by the first day of school next round. **

**Much like the early portion of **_**Naruto**_**, the chain of events is pretty well set, and difficult to inject much variety without gratuitous derailing (seriously, try finding a pre-Shippuden **_**Naruto**_** fic longer 10,000 words that doesn't involve the Bell Test, Wave Country, or the Chūnin Exam). I'll save the serious rewriting for another MHA fic. However, I did want to get the hooks set for some characters and ready to draw them into the plot proper. Virtual high-fives and cookies if you can pick who shows up where. **

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to leave a PM or review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

**Also, a belated happy birthday to Kirishima and Tetsutetsu.**


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